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D.W. Griffith

Teaching “The Most Reprehensibly Racist Film in Hollywood History”: Past-Present Lessons on White Supremacy via The Birth of a Nation

Although I have screened and taught David Wark (D.W.) Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation many times in past courses, it never felt more relevant than when I did so this past week. That is my post-screening assessment because, right up until class started, I was unsure—debating with myself whether or not to do it. My chief concern was sacrificing time potentially better spent covering textbook material. We have 2.5 hours for class, but the movie is 3.25 hours long. How could I artfully set up the screening and fit it into our time frame? I found a solution to Read more